NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT SENATE

87th SESSION, 2007-2008

SENATE CALENDAR

Wednesday, January 9th, 2008

8:00 PM

T. Greg Doucette, Student Senate President, Presiding

 

Opening Roll Call

Student Senate, Wednesday, January 9th 2008, 8:00 PM
 
There were forty-six (46) Senators (Adonis, Alston, P. Barnes, Beam, Briggs,
Burrell, Carter, Chen, Chiang, Cioffi, Compton, A. Davis, J. Davis, Dawkins,
Demanovich, Donnelly, Douglas, Elkins, Ellis, Gannon, Hook, Joyner, Lal, Lassiter,
Lindsay, Lumpkin, Miller, K. Mills, Parnell, Perry, Phelps, Poteat, M. Potter,
Pridgen, Pye, Robinson, Rogers, Roscoe, Rose, Schweitzer, J. Smith, K. Smith,
Stewart, Trickel, Webb, Womack) present. There were also two (2) non-voting members
(Doucette, Foxx) present.
 
There were ten (10) Senators (Friel, Howard, Jajoo, Johnson, McCullough, Musick,
Myers, Price, Storm, Warren) absent. There was also one (1) non-voting member
(Dimond) absent.
 
The following officials were also present: Aichele and Whiteside.
 
A quorum was present.

 

Introduction of New Committee Chairmen

• Sen. Jay Dawkins, Standing Committee on Campus Community

• Sen. Jason Smith, Standing Committee on Finance

• Sen. Phillip Roscoe, Select Committee on Appointments

 

Approval of Appointments of Senators

• Sen. Richard Pridgen, transferred from Design 1 to Engineering Seniors 4

• Sen. Heather Chiang, transferred from Natural Resources 2 to CHASS Seniors 3

• Sen. Peter Barnes, transferred from First-Years 2 to Natural Resources 1

• Sen. Daniel Ellis, transferred from First-Years 5 to Natural Resources 2

• Mr. Michel Simon, appointed to PAMS 2

• Miss Rebekah Dunstan, appointed to First-Years 2

• Miss Luisa Gomez, appointed to First-Years 5

 

New senator appointees spoke briefly about themselves.

ALL approved in block by consent

 

New Senators then took oath of office

 

Receipt of Petitions and Correspondence; Guest Speakers

  • Dr. Ron Campbell spoke about Agriculture Law (ARE 306) class
  • Lock T. Whiteside III, Student Chief Justice, regarding Resolution 55
    • Statistics were passed around to everyone in the Senate
    • The time has come to take a stand either for or against this issue of the burden of proof
    • Several board members will also be submitting reports on supporting the increase in proof
    • I hope that you all will be in support of this bill

 

Open Floor Comments from the Student Body

Any student who is not a current or former member of the Student Government may

address the Senate for a period not to exceed three (3) minutes each.

Total time for this segment may not exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

NONE

 

Comments & Announcements

Any Senator may address the Senate for a period not to exceed one (1) minute each.

Total time for this segment may not exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

 

Sen. Emeritus Hankins: This Friday, Alpha Phi Alpha will be having a Talley party please come out.

 

Sen. Lassiter: I just wanted to thank Adam Compton and Shanna Rose for planning the DC Trip this year again.

 

Sen. Carter: Next Engineers Council next Tuesday 7:30pm Dan 341

 

Sen. Parnell: Agri-life Raffle Tickets for sale.

 

Sen. Mazur: Sid’s Suits will be registered as a club so we can be able to get benefits of a regular club. The group will begin sponsoring tailgates for basketball. Please come out or purchase a Sid’s suit.

 

Anne Aichele: MLK service project on the 19th, I need roughly five to ten students to help out.

 

SSP: Announced that Vellie Johnson will be resigning.

This was approved by consent.

 

 

First Reading of Legislation

• R70, Atrium Renovation Support Act (Webb)-referred to University Affairs Committee

• R71, Information Technology Renewal Act (Webb)-referred to University Affairs Committee

• FB72, Transportation Guide Funding Act (Webb)-referred to Finance Committee

 

 

 

Second Reading of Legislation

• R55, Student Rights Reinstatement Act (Compton, et al)

 

Committee Report: Sen. Dawkins: We met yesterday to discuss this bill. The committee felt that the students did not get much of a say on this issue, but we definitely need to be the voice of the students tonight during the debate.

 

Sponsoring Report: Sen. Compton: Please read the bill, it is pretty self explanatory. Explains the different between Clear and Convincing and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

 

Debate:

 

Positive Debate: Sen. Emeritus Hankins: I support this issue fully because I was personally affected by the office of student conduct convicting me of a crime that I truly believed I was innocent on. This keeps people from doing many things on campus.

 

Negative Debate: Sen. Carter: I was wondering if I could yield my time to Chris Gilmore.

 

Chris Gilmore: A lot of times certain things get tacked onto cases because there were things that students may say during the time of the trial. We do look through a lot of cases and if we don’t have enough evidence the case is thrown out. We only take the ones that have clear and convincing evidence to try the students.

 

Positive Debate: Sen. Barnes: Basically, it comes down to that we need to go back to Beyond a Reasonable Doubt because this issue has been argued around this campus for a few years. However, it comes down to the actual students opinions and they have twice chosen to increase the burden in previous elections.

 

Negative Debate: Sen. Potter: Paul Cousins came and spoke to our committee and he pointed out that the majority of times when cases come to the Judicial they generally have already confessed to being guilty.

 

 

Positive Debate: Sen. Potter: I would like to yield my time to Ben Mazur.

 

Ben Mazur: It is obvious that the number of students being found guilty and expulsion is received. I am sure that this is one of the worse sentences that can be given to a college student. We should be positive that this student committed this crime before convicting them.

 

Positive Debate: Sen. Compton: I know several people that have served on the Judicial board at UNC. They understand the need for this burden of proof. I personally see a problem with our current code of conduct. It should be the students of NC State that decide what standard they want to be held at. This issue is very important issue and it is needed by the students. Students need to be held to the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. Students are being forced into situations were they must plead guilty.

 

Call to Previous Question

 

ROLL CALL VOTE

Student Senate, Wednesday, January 9th 2008, 8:00 PM
 
There were forty-six (46) Senators (Adonis, Alston, P. Barnes, Beam, Briggs,
Burrell, Carter, Chen, Cioffi, Compton, A. Davis, J. Davis, Dawkins, Demanovich,
Donnelly, Douglas, Elkins, Ellis, Gannon, Gomez, Howard, Joyner, Lal, Lassiter,
Lindsay, McCullough, Miller, K. Mills, Parnell, Phelps, Poteat, M. Potter, Price,
Pridgen, Rogers, Roscoe, Rose, Schweitzer, Simon, J. Smith, K. Smith, Stewart,
Trickel, Udyavar, Webb, Womack) voting in the affirmative. 
 
There were two (2) Senators (Chiang, Lumpkin) voting in the negative. 
 
There were four (4) Senators (Hook, Jajoo, Pye, Robinson) present but not voting. 
 
There were seven (7) Senators (Dunstan, Friel, Musick, Myers, Perry, Storm, Warren)
absent. 
 
A quorum was present.
 
The motion to adopt R 55, Student Rights Reinstatement Act, requiring majority
approval for adoption, was adopted by a margin of 46-2.

 

 

Comments & Announcements

Any Senator may address the Senate for a period not to exceed one (1) minute each.

Total time for this segment may not exceed fifteen (15) minutes.

 

Sen. Emeritus Sara Yasin: I don’t  know everybody anymore but if you want to say hey that is great.

 

Sen. Emeritus Hankins: January 16th, Alpha Phi Alpha will be having its annual MLK candlelight vigil. Please come out.

 

Sen. Dawkins: UNC Campout is beginning to be planned please let me know if you interested in helping out. We have a meeting on Monday at 6pm.

 

Chief Justice Whiteside: I want to thank you all for passing R55. Also, we are recruiting for Judicial board if you are interested please let me know. Applications are online if you have any questions send me an email.

 

Sen. Perry: Fashion Caucus

Female: Lindsay Womack

Male: Alex Carter

 

Sen. Joyner: Academics Meeting after the meeting.

 

Closing Roll Call and Adjournment

Student Senate, Wednesday, January 9th 2008, 8:00 PM
 
There were fifty-one (51) Senators (Adonis, Alston, P. Barnes, Beam, Briggs,
Burrell, Carter, Chen, Chiang, Cioffi, Compton, A. Davis, J. Davis, Dawkins,
Demanovich, Donnelly, Douglas, Elkins, Ellis, Gannon, Gomez, Hook, Jajoo, Joyner,
Lal, Lassiter, Lindsay, Lumpkin, Miller, K. Mills, Parnell, Perry, Phelps, Poteat,
M. Potter, Price, Pridgen, Pye, Robinson, Rogers, Roscoe, Rose, Schweitzer, Simon,
J. Smith, K. Smith, Stewart, Trickel, Udyavar, Webb, Womack) present. There were
also two (2) non-voting members (Doucette, Foxx) present.
 
There were eight (8) Senators (Dunstan, Friel, Howard, McCullough, Musick, Myers,
Storm, Warren) absent. There was also one (1) non-voting member (Dimond) absent.
 
The following officials were also present: Aichele and Whiteside.
 
A quorum was present.

 

Scheduled Meetings of the 87th Session of the Student Senate

• April 11, 2007

• April 25

• April 27 – Special Meeting

• August 22

• September 5

• September 19 – New Senator Mini-Orientation and Committee Chairmen Meeting

• September 22 – Student Government Retreat

• September 23 – Student Government Retreat and Official Senate meeting

• October 3

• October 17

• October 31 – Meeting in new Carmichael expansion; dress code waived

• November 2-4 – Association of Student Governments meeting @ NCSU

• November 14

• November 28

• January 2-6, 2008 – Washington DC Advocacy Event

• January 9 – Special Meeting regarding R55, “Student Rights Reinstatement Act”

• January 16 – Guest Speaker: State Representative Ty Harrell

• January 30 – Guest Speaker: Chancellor James L. Oblinger

• February 13

• February 27

• March 12

• March 26

• April 2 – Adjournment Sine Die